A Palais Royal Morning

We were in Paris for 4 days and explored as much of the city as we could, but my favorite morning was the one where we found ourselves at the Palais Royal, where these pictures were taken. Neighboring the Louvre tucked away in the 1st arrondissement, the Palais Royal was a quiet haven filled with a tree lined garden and it's iconic black & white columns. 

It was mid-morning on a Thursday when we visited, and I was instantly surprised by how many people were sitting in the garden reading, writing and enjoying the sunshine. This observation ended up being a constant theme across the city, and I ended up leaving Paris challenging myself to slow down more and enjoy my surroundings, instead of constantly being concerned with both my professional & personal to-do list.

henri bendel sunglasses / abercrombie tank / j.crew factory skirt / ramy brook bag / baublebar earrings / nike sneaks (on sale!)

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Sunday Browsing vol. 42

Happy Sunday! Apologies for the radio silence last week - the husband and I were exploring Paris & Barcelona (more to come on that in the next few weeks!) and as usual I thought I would update the blog, but never got around to it. Too many tapas will do that to you. 

We arrived back in the good ole US of A on Friday night and I'm trying to soak up every ounce of mylast day off work before being thrown back into reality tomorrow.

Here are a few of my favorite links from this past week:

to shop: 

• this dress has just the right twirl-factor to complement your wedding dance moves.
• need to re-create this look asap! It's the perfect mix between menswear & feminine preppy.
• for all my mommas & mommas to be, the most stylish diaper bags. think anyone would notice if i used this one as a regular bag? 
• asos is offering up to 60% off select summer merchandise. scoop up this skirt & this leather bag- they're steals!
• loving this delicate bracelet from etsy that's only $21!

& a few more:

• loved emily's tips for overnight guests.
• do yourself a favor and watch at least one episode of an idiot abroad - it's a few years old but my husband discovered it last week and every eposide makes me laugh so hard i cry.
• do you know when to toss your makeup? let's just say i may have some cleaning to do.
• if you're feeling brave, you can book a hotel room that hangs off a cliff. 
• a though provoking article about MTV's new documentary, white people. 
• 8 best places to find affordable art. 

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Double Duty

As I sit at the airport typing this post all is surpassingly calm after a weekend spent shopping and running last minute errands for our trip plus two days of work that seemed to never end. Why is it so hard to go on vacation? As my husband said last night, being an adult ain't easy. 

In a frenzy to pack 8 days worth of clothes in a carry-on, most of my time shopping this weekend was spent looking for pieces that could take me from day to night or serve a dual purpose, like this breezy dressed I snatched up from H&M. I plan to wear it for our days exploring in Paris and then use it for a trip to the beach in Barcelona.

ray-ban sunglasses / brixton hat / h&m dress (available in stores) / forever 21 sandals / old clutch (similar from madewell)

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Sunday Browsing vol. 41

I'm extra excited this Sunday for two reasons: 1. even through it's going to rain all day today (again), yesterday was amazingly sunny and left my feeling hopeful for this summer and 2. we leave for Paris & Barcelona in 3 days!! After so much planning, it's hard to believe that we actually leave this week, but I couldn't be more eager to explore these two amazing cities. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!

to shop:

• saks off fifth is my new go-to for handbags, i just picked up this beauty but there were so many other ones i loved!
• in love with this look. 
• my most-used & loved clutch is on sale!
• i picked up this coat from the nordstrom anniversary sale, what did you get?!
• when your husband peer pressures you while shopping you end up with these. 

to travel:

• the 10 best breakfast spots in paris which are high on our Parisian must-see list.
• a new app could replace google maps for traveling.
• why you shouldn't worry about gaining weight on vacation, my favorite article from the week considering I leave for Paris wednesday.

to eat & drink:

• adult slushies? yes please.
• we made this recipe for rainbow vegetarian pad thai a few weeks back and we're blown away by how well it turned out. 

& a few more for fun:

• i laughed out loud at jess' 19 ways to tell your 27, hello late twenties!
• 9 inspiring instagram accounts - most of these were new to me and only further fueled the disparity between my "followers" and "following" ;)

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Confetti Craves: July

clockwise from top left: zara skirt / madewell sunglasses / a common space midi dress / forever 21 sandals / gigi new york passport cover / madewell overalls / nastygal backpack / topshop midi dress

The husband and I share a strong affinity to shopping and therefore have instated a monthly clothes budget, of equal amounts, in an effort to pretend like we're adults. Very responsible, sure, but also very annoying when one of you (*raises hand*) tends to only gravitate towards purses that are equal in cost to a month's rent. Some serious #firstworldproblems over here. 

Since I'm balling on a budget, by the start of a month I usually have a wish list in the form of full shopping carts across the world wide web waiting for me to hit "checkout" so I thought it'd be fun to share what I have my eye on each month. This month I can't get enough of effortless overalls, a 70's skirt and a few accessories that would be perfect for our trip to Europe like this candy inspired backpack & chic passport cover.

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Fringeaholic

If I've learned anything about myself from this blog, it's that I can bit a obsessed with a good detail. Evidence of this addiction is amount of my closet that contains embroidery or beading, which I'm beginning is not the most practical of clothing since my "hand-wash only"pile seems to be doubling in size every week. But lets be honest, when is fashion ever practical?

 In addition to my affinity for all things embroidered, I'm pretty confident that this top has awakened a new love for fringe. When done right, a little fringe detail can add just the right amount of interest.

zara top (on sale!) / baublebar earrings / ray-ban aviators / zara clutch, similar style at nordstrom / madewell denim / old shoes, similar from asos 

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